International Relations

Short Introductions

by Stephanie Lawson

International Relations only emerged as a discipline in its own right in the early twentieth century as scholars and practitioners sought to study the causes of war and the conditions for peace in a more systematic and sustained way. The philosophical foundations of the discipline, however, draw on centuries of thinking about human nature, political authority and the relations between political communities.
In this book, Stephanie Lawson adopts a broad historical and contextual approach to introduce students to the central themes and theoretical perspectives in the study of world politics. In particular, she examines the development of the discipline’s central institution, the state, and explains the ways in which it has both shaped, and been shaped by, political norms. Lawson also looks at key issues in the contemporary world, including security and insecurity, global governance and world order and the impact of globalization on the state.

The range of issues that the discipline now encompasses, together with the development of new theoretical approaches and an increasing openness to interdisciplinary work, make international relations an important and dynamic field of study in today’s world. This book will appeal to students of politics and international relations at undergraduate level and beyond, as well as anyone with a general interest in world affairs.

Genres: International Relations, Nonfiction, Politics

Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Professor in Macquarie University's Department of Modern History, Politics and International Relations, Sydney, Australia

Reviews

[Justin]

I thought it covered all bases on the theory of IR. Would have liked more application on case studies though

[Stephen]

This was a textbook for an introductory class in IR. Unfortunately it is written in a far too advanced style for this purpose. It is more a detailed academic survey for a reader with a strong background in the social sciences. It contains a lots of references to ideas from other authors using jargon often not fully explained. So I found it less than optimal. If you are just starting out pick, up something a little more basic.

[Philip C Beeby]

Great introduction to international relations. A very nicely written book, that conveys some complex ideas in an easy to read fashion.

[Irene]

So much information packed in one book, my head hurts

[Terry]

For uni (International Relations course)

[Anca C]

Se vede ca nu e scrisa de romani, un limbaj usor si accesibi. Foarte bine scrisa, atat pentru studentii la relatii internationale cat si pentru cei de la drept, daca vor sa inteleaga mai bine contextul dreptului international public.

[Hannibal]

A solid and easy-to-read introduction to the field of International Relations